


Best Friend

by CallMeJubilee



Category: Little Mix, One Direction
Genre: F/M, Leigharry, Song Inspired, Zeigh, Zeigh-Anne, best friend - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-11
Updated: 2015-03-26
Packaged: 2018-01-01 04:19:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1040263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallMeJubilee/pseuds/CallMeJubilee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'll be all you need and more, than a fucking best friend."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written a one-shot before, so here you have it. Aha :)
> 
> The song is "Best Friend" by RaVaughn, I love that song and I wanted to see if I could do something with it (shrugs).
> 
> I'm out. xx

_  
I know you got that perfect 20/20 baby  
No need for them glasses or them contacts  
So tell me why, tell me why, Why can't you see?  
Everytime you're kissing her in front of me  
It hurts, I'm human Baby  
It hurts  
_

Her nose scrunched up in disgust when they kissed infront of her and she closed her eyes and turned away from the scene; it hurt to watch. Her heart was plummeting again and it would shatter when it hit the ground. He always did this, she wasn't sure why she even bothered anymore, he would never see her as anything more than a best friend. They've been friends for years now, she knew him inside and out, they were closer than most friends.   
_  
I'm not your fuckin best friend  
I've been sittin' on this bench too long  
While you're playing with these  
Basic fake chicks  
And come complaining when it all goes wrong  
If you open your eyes  
And give sense a good try  
I'll be all you need  
And more  
Than a fuckin best friend  
_

"-she starts whining about why I don't take her out on enough dates, or paying to get her hair and nails done, yeah."

Leigh-Anne sighed into her phone and rolled her eyes. "I don't know what to tell you, Zayn. If you want to keep her around, you'll have to compromise on something. Take her out more, but let her keep herself tidy for you." 

She kept herself tidy for him all the time but he never seemed to notice...

"I guess, thanks, Leigh-Anne. You're a proper best friend."

"Of course I am," she muttered under her breath.

_  
Was I ever an option on the phone talking  
2 o'clock in the morning  
Asking me to fix what's broken  
Open up my heart and then you stole it  
Those random times I cross your mind  
Do I give you butterflies?  
Cuz baby I get chills every time I chill watcha  
_

"What do you want, Zayn, it's two in the bloody morning! I've had a long day at work and I need to sleep!" Leigh-Anne groaned out in frustration.

"She broke up with me.." She heard him say in a strained voice before a soft sniffle. "Said she didn't love me anymore. It hurts, Leigh.."

'It's only been six months this time..'

"You'll be okay, Zayn." Leigh-Anne sighed and bit her lip, he never listened to her when she told him those other girls were no good. No matter how pretty she was, Leigh-Anne always knew when it wouldn't work out; she knew someone better suited for him. "How about I take off from work tomorrow and we can just chill out together? Listen to some RnB? I passed that one art store you told me about the other day and picked up a pack of those pencils you said you were running out of.."

She always paid attention when he said little things like that, she was always there like-

"You know you're my best mate, yeah?" He asked with a half-hearted chuckled, she wished he would stop calling her that, she hated it.

"Yeah...I know.."

_  
I'm not your fuckin best friend  
I've been sittin' on this bench too long  
While you're playing with these  
Basic fake chicks  
And come complaining when it all goes wrong  
If you open your eyes  
And give sense a good try  
I'll be all you need  
And more  
Than a fuckin best friend  
_

"These aren't the ones.." Zayn said leading her into his studio, and looking inside the bag she brought with her.

"They aren't? Could've sworn you said "Derwent Coloursoft" that day." The woman said it's a great brand.." Leigh-Anne replied and frown, that was definitely what he said, she put it in her reminders on her phone if she ever passed by the store to pick them up.

"Derwent is amazing, but this is the 72 pack."

She huffed and stood near one his tables and picking up one of his slightly older sketchbooks, opening it to look over his work. He always hated when she did, he said they were "amateur at best," but she loved all of his art, new and old. He always tried to downplay his skills so she didn't feel bad whenever he called himself "teaching her how to draw."

"So what's the problem?" She asked knitting her eyebrows in confusion, was 72 not enough? 

"I have the 36 pack," Zayn walked over to Leigh-Anne's standing form.

"I still don't see the problem, now you have 36 more pencils to work with," she commented rolling her eyes at him and flipping the page, he was so talented that it wasn't fair.

"They cost too much, that's the problem," Zayn wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair before nuzzling his way to her cheek, oblivious to her body that tensed at his touch, "but thanks."

"Y-yeah...you're welcome," she said sadly, her eyes looking down at the drawing facing her; his recent ex.

_  
You can't tell me I'm crazy for felling this way  
And maybe it's the wrong time but I'm in the right place  
So while you got me here look me straight in the eyes  
And tells me everything I feel is a lie  
_  
   
"Can I draw you? I haven't drawn you yet," he whispered in her ear, his lips tickling and giving her goose pimples, his warm breath it making her nibble on her bottom lip.

"I don't think that's a good idea," she muttered. She always imagined asking him to "draw her like one of his French girls" before they had a vigorous lovemaking session that was looong overdue.

"Why not?" He pondered, she was normally onboard with any idea he had. Leigh-Anne twisted her way out of his arms, and took a seat on his "thinking couch," it was actually the couch he fell asleep on whenever he was tired and too lazy to get up and go to his bedroom.

"You know I can't sit still," she lied, just having his smoldering eyes on her for an extended amount of time made her jittery, it was the way they seemed to bore into her soul. 

"Then don't sit still, just try not to move too much," he said with a shrug.

"It's still a no," she argued flipping to the next page and to another picture of his ex. 'This must be "her" book..' He had a dozen books filled with brilliant portraits of his exes.

Leigh-Anne quickly thumbed through the pages to confirm her theory, every page was the same, blonde hair and blue eyes; everything she wasn't. Gently she sat the book down next her her, only to look up to see Zayn standing infront of her. He really needed to make more noise when he walked, that's how he always scared her to death before starting a tickle fight.

"Like this," he said grabbing her hands in one if his and placing them in her lap. His hands found her shoulders to straighten them out, then they and ran down to the small of her back and arched it; Leigh-Anne tried her hardest not to shudder from the contact. Tenderly, his hand cupped her face and tilted it up, her nose bushing his slightly. She looked in his molten hazel eyes that were gazing back at her and inhaled sharply. How could he not see it? The way her body reacted to his chaste touches should be all the proof in the world for him to realize that he meant more to her than just a friend. 

"Keep your eyes on me, yeah."

"Okay," she whispered, looking at him was easier than blinking or breathing, he didn't have to tell her twice. The heat of his hand left her face cold when he removed it, he went to grab his sketch pad again and opened up the pencils she bought him. 

"I'll be quick so you won't have to sit long," he commented picking out the shades he needed and pulling up a chair.

Leigh-Anne nodded silently and held her breath, Zayn only drew things he fancied or random things that caught his eye, if she was either, that was a good sign, right?

"You can breathe," he joked when her chest hadn't expanded or contracted, then he directed his vision to the paper.

"Oi, sod off, you twit!" She snapped narrowing her eyes.

"No, relax your face, you're prettier that way," he chuckled and looked up at her beneath his thick eyelashes, stealing her breath again and forcing her heart to skip a beat. 

"That's not fair," she mumbled looking down at her hands to avoid his eyes. Why wasn't he effected by her the way she was by him?

"What?" He asked looking between his rough outline and her form.

"Nothing," she said a little louder and looked back at him, she loved the face he made when he was concentrating.

"I think I'll call her tomorrow, I want it to work between us," Zayn said randomly, biting his lip and looking back at Leigh-Anne's face for a spilt second.

"Are you sure you want to still be with her? ..She dropped you so fast, I didn't think.." His ex wasn't right for him, she was a manipulative slag that found enjoyment in toying with his heart. Leigh-Anne couldn't stand her, the girl was insolent and snooty towards her and she didn't care about Zayn at all.

"I do," he nodded.

'But why?'

"You must be mad," she huffed, "she said she didn't love you anymore, just let it go."

"I know, but I can't just give up on us."

"Well I think you should. You know she's just using you, Zayn, let her go!" Leigh-Anne argued, he was so daft about her that common sense no longer applied.

Zayn stopped drawing and sighed deeply. "Leigh, you're my best mate, and you know how I feel about her. I can't give up that easily.."

She narrowed her eyes at him, bolted off the couch and headed towards the door. She was going to lose it if she stayed any longer, he said "it" again; he called her that "thing" again.

"Where are you going?" He asked surprised by her sudden departure.

"Back to my flat," she snapped walking out the door and down his hallway stairs, her shoes clomping down each one noisily. Leigh-Anne reached for her scarf and coat, it was fall and the air was crisp and cool enough to catch a cold in. She threw open Zayn's front door when he caught her hand in his.

"Why are you leaving? You just got here.." Zayn asked confused, Leigh-Anne chuckled bitterly ripping her hand from his. 

"I'm not your fucking best friend," she sneered and walked to her car, leaving him standing in his doorway, utterly bewildered and watching her drive away.  
   
_  
Cause' I'm not your fuckin best friend  
I've been sittin' on this bench too long  
While you're playing with these  
Basic fake chicks  
And come complaining when it all goes wrong  
If you open your eyes  
And give sense a good try  
I'll be all you need  
And more  
Than a fuckin best friend

Why can't you see it?  
It could be me and you  
I'll be all you need  
And more  
Than a fuckin best friend  
_


	2. 2

Two weeks had passed since the last time Zayn had heard from Leigh-Anne.

He knew from experience with his sisters and ex-girlfriends that when a girl was angry with you and walked away, you needed to either chase after her, or give her space. Tricky thing is, you had to choose wisely. Maybe you chase after her and it pisses her off even more and you end up with a broken nose, or in his case, a busted lip. Or maybe you give her space and then she's convinced that you don't care enough about her. (Girls were just that complicated.) Though after the first time one of his ex's swung at him, giving them space always seemed like the smarter option to choose... What? She had four older brothers and she hit pretty damn hard, he had to get 13 stitches in his lip that day! 

After the first few days he tried calling her, it would ring until it he was directed to her voicemail and he'd hang up; he wasn't the leaving voicemail kind of guy asking her to pick up the phone or call him back, she knew that. He would call a couple times a day during the hours he knew she wasn't at work and would be at home watching the telly or shopping online and she still didn't answer. He couldn't even count how many texts he had sent her and she didn't reply to any of them, not even his jokes got him a lame "LOL." In the end he concluded that she was still angry with him and needed more time to cool down. But this was Leigh-Anne, his best mate, she couldn't stay mad at him for long, she was probably on the rag and watching sad movies on the couch with Harvey.

After the first week had passed and he hadn't talked to her, that's when he started to worry. 

Maybe he should've chase after her, just got in his car, followed her back home and taken the black eye he knew she would give him, like a man. Zayn called, texted, emailed, tweeted, he even sent her messages on Facebook and he came up empty handed. He thought it was impossible for her to still be upset, he hadn't done anything! He still didn't know why she was angry in the first place. He was sketching her, talking about getting back with his ex, she got upset and said she wasn't his best friend right before she left. Zayn knew Leigh-Anne didn't care for any of his ex's, and she would warn him in advance what the girls problem was, high maintenance, BPD, OCD, clingy and just straight crazy; so her not liking his recent one wasn't a surprise. Then the, "I'm not you're fucking best friend" thing, was obviously ridiculous, they've always been best friends and they were always going to be best friends. When she said it he thought it was like those times when you're upset with someone and the, "I hate you" comes out of your mouth, but you know you don't really mean it. They'd had those sort of arguments plenty times over the years but at the end of the day they were still the best of friends who were gonna go to the cinema on Friday and the loser of rock, paper, scissors had to pay.

When week two rolled around, he gave up calling and texting her and decided to show up at her job to offer to buy her lunch so they can settle their "differences." Unfortunately, each time when he went there she always seemed to be on break or even off that day, her one co-worker, Jade, would tell him she stepped out and didn't know when she would be back with a frown. He'd thought about waiting around for her on a couple occasions, but he was starting to get strange looks and he couldn't deal with the unwanted attention.

By the end of the second week he was livid.

She was purposely ignoring him, avoiding him at all costs and now in his eyes, it was just childish. He needed his best friend back and he couldn't not talk to her for so long without losing it. His ex had called and they decided to patch things up, he was happy for the first day..until she became this nagging woman that refused to give him breathing space. He couldn't be at her house taking a shit without her yelling through the door about him texting another girl, he would yell back that he wasn't...when in all actuality he was texting Leigh-Anne for help, to run interference or something like she used to because fuck, this girl was a lot crazier the second time around.

He showed up at her door and knocked on it loud enough for her to hear, his own ears could hear faint music playing that wasn't quite her taste.

"Leigh-Anne, open the door!" He yelled knocking harder on the wood.

On the inside of her home she was sitting on her company, giggling when he planted butterfly kisses to her neck and almost making her spill her glass of wine that he brought over.

His name was Harry.

She stormed out of Zayn's that day, went home and wrecked the place. She scared Harvey half to death the way she barged in the front door, yelling and cursing and throwing things. That night she cried in the middle of the floor, broken everything everywhere, and figured she could've done something less extreme, but that kind of catharsis was needed. She was angry and she needed to let it all out somehow. Harvey, when he thought it was safe to come out of hiding, walked up to her and nudged her leg before jumping in her lap to lick her face to make her smile. She did, and gave her fur-child a hug, telling him that mummy was okay and that he needed to sit on the couch while she cleaned up the mess she made. Unsurprising to her, he understood and patiently sat on the couch waiting for her to turn the TV on so he could watch Family Guy; Harvey and Brian got on perfectly.

The next day she went to work, chatted with Jade and told her what had happened, she was disappointed, Jade had been hoping Zayn would finally see her friend in a different light now that he newest distraction had dumped him. Leigh-Anne asked if Jade could tell him, if he ever showed up there, that she wasn't there, or was off or something, anything. Anything that would make him go away. She knew after awhile that Zayn would come looking for her when he figured out she was clearly avoiding him, and since Jade was the best and always looked out for her, she agreed. But only if Leigh-Anne got her these biscuits from the bakery up the street.

She made the trek on her lunch break, the weather was still decent enough to walk in and she was considering getting a gym membership anyways to blow off all of the extra steam she had. She'd never been to this bakery before, she didn't know it existed until that day, but that's where she met him.

Harry.

He looked completely bored out of his mind, leaning over the counter on his phone, rings on his fingers, his hair restrained with a green bandana, a dark blue apron around his neck, long arms littered in ink. Her teeth sunk in her bottom lip hard, guys with tattoos was one of her weaknesses, Zayn had plenty of them and seemed to get a new one every week. 

Leigh-Anne cleared her throat so she could get Jade's biscuits and leave, he looked up at her and she knew she was doomed. His eyes, shimmering emerald, bore into hers, his cherry, Cupid bow of a mouth, grinned and his dimples -fuck, his fucking dimples!- revealed themselves and she forgot how to breathe. He was attractive, too attractive, and he was tall! When he stood up he practically towered over her...she liked that. She always had a thing for tall guys but considered Zayn as an exception.

She tried ordering without making small talk with him, she was only allowed a 30 minute break and she had another store she wanted to hit before she was back on the clock, but "Harry," his nametag read, was making it difficult. He was going a fantastic job at chatting her up and it wasn't until he asked if there was a bloke she was seeing when she almost broke down crying again. She blinked away the tears that tried escaping her ducts and remembered her older sister telling her a rule about breakups:

"If you want to get over somebody, start seeing somebody new."

She gave Harry her best flirty smile while telling him no and they exchanged numbers, and after that, they really hit it off. Harry was the complete opposite of Zayn and she loved it, he gave her all of the attention she'd been practically gagging for with Zayn. Harry was smart, brilliant even, though he said some if the most ridiculous things she had ever heard, he was charming but childish enough to keep a smile on her face. They went on dates, flirted, stole kisses here and there and really enjoyed being in each others company. The day she found out Harry loved to sing she almost stepped out of her knickers for him right then in there. Okay, that was an exaggeration, but when he sang to her later that day she was really close to doing it, and if Harvey hadn't jumped on the couch when he did, she would've probably christened her sofa. His voice went straight to her neither region and she felt it throbbing from the moment he opened his mouth.

Harry was outgoing, spontaneous, and after several failed attempts at teaching her how to juggle, she finally got it, even if it was only for a few seconds. They had great banter and he was always eager to introduce her to the things he liked, especially if it was music related. The two weeks she spent getting to know him were the happiest she had been in awhile and Zayn didn't cross her mind because all she could think was: HarryHarryHarry, those fucking dimples, HarryHarry, that damn cheeky grin, Harry, those bloody sinful lips. The only time Zayn entered her train of thought was when she passed by the art supply store and that was rare. She had installed an app that ignored whatever number you put in it, all calls wouldn't come through and all texts would automatically be deleted. Leigh-Anne needed this time to get over him and with help from Harry's large, wandering hands, Zayn, and all of his daftness, was the furthest thing from her mind. And out of all of the amazing things about Harry, because there was a lot, her favorite would be that he didn't want to be her best friend. 

So now here they were, on her couch listening to another band Harry thought she should give a try, "The 1975," if she remembered correctly, sipping wine and comparing the modulations. Harry had been a tad friskier than usual tonight, his hands roaming a little more, kissing and sucking lightly on her neck before lightly kissing her lips. Leigh-Anne asked for the title of the song that had begun to play and Harry chuckled, his hand squeezing her hip and he rasped, "Sex" in her ear right before he took her earlobe between his teeth and pulled. 

She giggled and sipped her wine, "Nice name for a song," she said twisting in his lap when his hands ran up and down her sides and tickling slightly.

Harry hummed in agreement, "You know what that is, right?" He asked lazily, his pupils almost completely blown in lust. 

"Sex?" She questioned with a smirk and he nodded. "Oh, I definitely know what that is."

"Do you?" He asked mimicking her smirk and she had to admit, nobody could quite off a smirk like Harry.

Leigh-Anne adjusted herself on his lap until she was straddling him, both of her legs on either side of his, she rolled her hips on him and bit her lip. One of her favorite things about Harry was that no matter how much they teased each other, he was always a gentleman and he never did anything without her giving him the green light first.

"Something like this," she whispered, his strong hands settling on her hips as she gave a few experimental bounces on his lap.

Harry chuckled, "Exactly like that," he said giving a shallow thrust upwards for more friction, his sweatpants were too thick and he couldn't feel her like he wanted to. Harry leaned in to pepper her neck with kisses that made her giggle.

"Harry, stop!" she said half-heartedly trying not to spill her wine, it was some good stuff. 

"Lemme put my glass down first!" she laughed, leaning backwards, (cough)showing off her flexibility(cough) and placing her flute on the coffee table while Harry held onto her hips securely.

With the skin of her stomach showing he couldn't help himself, he leaned down and licked from the top of her pajama pants all the way up, he dipped his tongue into her belly button, obscenely tongued it and she squealed when his teeth pulled on her navel ring.

"Harry!" she screamed, and he laughed into her skin and kissed up her stomach and brought her up so he could kiss her lips. 

Zayn heard Leigh-Anne's scream and pounded on the door with a heavy fist, "Leigh-Anne, open the fucking door!"

Her giggling died in her throat and Harry peered over her shoulder at the door.

"Ex-boyfriend?" he murmured kissing along the base of her neck and Leigh-Anne snorted. 

"He's my best friend," she answered dismounting him and adjusting her clothes. "One second." She kissed Harry's lips quickly and went to the door.

"Leigh-Anne!" Zayn yelled again but louder.

"Oh my God, Zayn, shut the hell up!" she groaned undoing the locks and meeting his face. "Whaddaya want?" 

"I haven't talked to you in weeks and this is how you greet me? Been calling you, texting you, going up to your job and I haven't heard a word back from you. Where've you been?!" He asked studying her to see if she would lie and say that she wasn't avoiding him. He knew she was. He just knew it.

"Nowhere, really," she shrugged. "Out."

"Out?" he asked in disbelief. "Why haven't you called or texted me back? I was worried.." Zayn said softly, he didn't know what he would do without her, he'd spent the majority of his life around her and not having her there was just..

"I've been busy," Leigh-Anne replied truthfully, Harry kept her occupied almost 24/7, they went on small dates almost everyday after she got off from work. 

"I'm actually busy right now, so if you don't mind.."

Zayn looked over the top of her straightened hair that he just noticed she had cut -but he would bitch about that another time because he really loved her hair way the way it was and hated it when she straightened it- and inside her flat. 

"Busy doing what and what the heck are you listening to?"

"None of your business, I said I'm busy. I'll talk to you tomorrow or something," she said closing the door but Zayn pushed it back open, he came to talk to her, she couldn't make him leave like that.

"You can't be busy if you're listening, to that shi-"

Harry had walked up behind Leigh-Anne and wrapped his tattooed arms around her and kissed her cheek, "Babe, that's taking so long?" 

"The fuck are you?!" Zayn asked defensively, Leigh-Anne hadn't told him that she was seeing anyone...recently unless this guy was completely new, which he had to be because Zayn had never seen him a day in his life.

The taller man extending his hand out, a polite smile on his face, "Harry, you?"

Zayn shook the hand skeptically, "Zayn." He arched a dark brow sizing Harry up, why was he so damn tall? He knew Leigh-Anne liked tall guys and always preferred them but she never said anything to him about his height. He wasn't much taller than her and compared to his guy it looked like Zayn needed to hit puberty again.

"Harry, what?"

"Harry, boyfriend," he replied kissing Leigh-Anne's cheek again and nuzzling part of her neck, he would've seen just a tiny bit of a blush there if he had been looking, they hadn't exactly put a label on it thing yet but girlfriend was fine by her. "You?"

"Zayn, best.. friend.." Zayn replied slowly, feeling...dumb.

It all started to make some sense now, why he hadn't heard from her in so long. They spent the majority of their time joined at the hip unless they had other plans, Leigh-Anne stopped by to visit her Mum once a month and didn't date much after her one douche of an ex, making him the only guy in her life. Other than work, Zayn had all of her undivided attention...that is, up until two weeks ago and Zayn didn't like it, he didn't like it at all.

Now there was this "Harry, boyfriend" that had shown up and now he was no longer Leigh-Anne's main focus, Harry was, and he found himself hating that little fact. Zayn knew he was selfish, he didn't like to share, and Leigh-Anne was the only person he liked to share with or could get him to share at all. But her attention? No. He didn't want to share her attention. 

"Well, it was nice meeting you and all, but you're interrupting our date night," Harry said wrapping his arms tighter around Leigh-Anne and pulling her into his warm body when the wind blew, Zayn was letting out all of the heat in her flat. 

"I'm sure we'll have more time to chat another day, beers on me? We'll meet up sometime. I've gotta have her best mate's stamp of approval, right?" He asked Zayn with a friendly smile, his hazel eyes looked at Leigh-Anne and she looked completely taken with Harry. A goofy smile on her face and her eyes lit up like neon lights, the way she normally looked at-

"I'm free tomorrow, if it helps, but as for right now," Harry wiggled his eyebrows playfully at Leigh-Anne and tickled her sides. "Later, Zayn." Harry finally said closing the door and locking it back.

Zayn was at a loss. He came over to settle things with Leigh-Anne and all he got was her wrapped up in some other blokes arms, grinning so hard it threatened to split her face. He had important things to discuss, like how his girlfriend almost bit his favorite appendage off during a round of "makeup sex" and if he broke up with her again would she go stalker mode on him? Or where the hell she found this guy and why was he already allowed in her place? Didn't she have a two month rule about letting guys into her flat?

Zayn scoffed and headed back towards his car, "I'll give it six weeks."

Six weeks before they broke up and she tells him all about Harry and how he was such a cocky prick when you really got to know him and how she would pay Zayn's friend, Liam, to beat him up if he wasn't such a marshmallow.

"Six weeks," he repeated starting up his car and heading back towards his place. He stopped at a stop light and hit his head on the steering wheel when he realized something. "Shit. Forgot to ask her what I should do about Perrie, her dog food habit is getting worse."


	3. 3

Zayn found himself perplexed six weeks later.

He'd broken up with Perrie after she went completely mental over a side comment he had made about her new hair colour. He didn't understand why she kept dying it in the first place, so he asked her about it. There wasn't anything wrong with her natural blonde tresses, and he noticed the more she dyed it, the more it started breaking off. It was dry and brittle and...just plain unhealthy hair. Now Leigh-Anne had healthy hair. It was always so fluffy and soft when she had it in her signature curly fro, and even when she straightened it, her hair still had a nice, healthy shine to it. When they were younger she had dyed it red and shaved the side of it off, but after Zayn had bitched her out about it, she never changed her hair again...besides the highlights she would get every so often.

But he was single again and becoming increasingly frustrated everyday instead of being upset about how things weren't ever going to work out between him and Perrie. Why?

Because Leigh-Anne was still with Harry.

And it's not like he had a problem with Harry, it was just the opposite. He liked Harry, a lot actually; he was a really great guy. They went out for beers like Harry promised and got completely pissed, Zayn was so shitfaced that he didn't remember how he got home or in his bed that night. Harry had left a note with water and pain killers for his hangover saying that Zayn was a great lad and how HE was grateful that Leigh-Anne had a friend like him.

It was just impossible for Zayn to hate the guy, he wished he could, that way he could tell Leigh-Anne about how much of a terrible person he is and how she needed to cut ties with him immediately... but he couldn't. He was a good lad, almost too good and it made Zayn suspicious. Harry had that playboy aura all over him with the smile and dimples to match, but Zayn too had a stereotype of a bad boy, and if you asked Leigh-Anne, she'd tell you Zayn was mostly a pushover...

Leigh-Anne had found a way to spend time with the both of them and everything was okay, Zayn still didn't like sharing her, but he could live with this. He had his best mate back and Harry was slowly becoming a good pal too, and though they never discussed that day at his flat -which he still didn't understand by the way- it was like it didn't happen. And in those six weeks he had secretly hoped something would ruin his best friends relationship with a guy that was great just because he'd never seen her so smitten.

So when another month had passed and as Zayn sat with Leigh-Anne back at his place watching Kevin Hart on her day off, he thought he was hearing her wrong.

"Wait, say that again?" he asked with a shocked look all over his face and Leigh-Anne rolled her eyes.

"How soon is too soon to tell someone you love them?" she asked again shyly, looking away from him and rubbing her arm nervously. Maybe she should've had a girls night with Jade. Jade wasn't nearly as judgmental as Zayn and she wouldn't chase down Harry with threats of castration.

Zayn paused Netflix ready to tell her that she didn't love Harry because it was too soon and, yeah, she might've already met his parents who adored her, (how could they not?) but that didn't mean she loved him. Their relationship was still new and the two of them were still in that honeymoon phase where everything is always perfect and the person seemed absolutely flawless. If they gave it another three months, they'd probably try to kill each other and frame him for it!

"Do you?" Zayn asked carefully, Leigh-Anne was so guarded when it came to relationships; she didn't fall fast, she just fell hard.

Her body relaxed and she had that dreamy look on her face when she turned to face him again, and Zayn hated to admit that he was getting used to that expression whenever she spoke of the man with the curls that couldn't be tamed.

"He's just so wonderful, Zayn" she sighed ready to take out her phone and send him a million hearts and kissy faces; she couldn't wait to see him later.

"I'm not saying he's not great, cause he really is, it's just.." Zayn replied slowly and narrowed his eyes at her, taking in her body language and trying to figure out why she would think she loved this guy. "It's too soon."

"Oh...so what do I say to him?" she asked with a slight head tilt, she'd been fumbling over what and how to say how Harry made her feel for awhile now. The whispered words of endearment and adoration on her heart refused to form sentences that were coherent enough to satisfy her brain, and that her mouth would agree with and actually verbalize.

"What do you mean, 'what do you say?' You don't say anything. Just wait a few months before using the 'L word' with him," Zayn advised. He might not be the best when it came to relationships, but he knew you couldn't throw the 'L word' around so carelessly. That was a sure-fire way to get hurt and left with a broken heart.

"No, no. I mean, Harry's the one who said he loved ME," she said with a huge smile remembering when he said it.

It came out of his mouth so naturally as if he'd been telling her he loved her for years, every morning, noon and night. He didn't look sheepish about it and said he wouldn't take it back because he really meant it. Harry wasn't the type to say things like that and not genuinely mean them, so her heart caught fire in the best way after his confession and she wanted her own to have the same effect on him.

"He what?" Zayn asked dumbly. He was just with the curly haired lad a few days ago and he hadn't mentioned anything about loving Leigh-Anne or ever telling her so.

"He said it a few weeks ago-"

"Weeks ago?!"

"-he told me that he didn't expect me to feel the same, but he just wanted me to know," she whispered biting her bottom lip and attempting to heal it with a swipe of her tongue after.

Zayn ran a hand down his face, so much for having them break up anytime soon.

"Are you guys...?" Zayn made a few suggestive hand gestures.

"Zayn!" Leigh-Anne gasped, punching him in his arm. Why would he even ask her such a question?! "That's none of your business!"

"Yes it is, I tell you about my sex life," Zayn replied nonchalantly with an equally nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. It was sex, they both have had sex before and talking about it shouldn't be a big deal...unless Harry was into some really kinky shit that she didn't want him to know she engaged in.

Leigh-Anne scoffed. "But I've never, ever, asked you about it. You're the one volunteering to tell me about what you and those slags do!"

As much as she had fantasized about what Zayn would be like in the sack - if he was rough like a lion or as gentle as a lamb - she had never once asked. Just knowing that his lips were on someone else's skin always made her heart ache in a way that made her feel positively ill when she was all alone at night.

"Yeah, whatever," Zayn snorted in disbelief. "So are you? Cause maybe that's why he said it, so you would...y'know..."

"Oi! Shut up, Zayn. Just shut up!" Leigh-Anne snapped crossing her arms under her chest and turning away from him. She followed the 90-day rule and Harry was almost at the mark...but that didn't mean they hadn't done other things. Harry was just irresistible, okay? Don't judge her!

Zayn rolled his eyes. It was typical that she would get upset after he asked.

"I guess that explains the glow," he muttered lowly to himself.

_x

 

"Zayn?"

"Yeah?" Zayn asked back, he'd agreed to chill with Harry that next day and if he'd been quieter than usual, he doubted Harry noticed. Zayn was too absorbed in his own thoughts of Leigh-Anne actually loving this wanker back and what that meant for their friendship, she'd probably choose to spending more time with Harry instead of himself.

"I've been thinking a lot lately," said Harry scratching the back of his neck nervously. "And you're Leigh's best mate...so I was kinda wondering..."

"If you're asking for her hand in marriage, it's an easy no," Zayn scoffed. He liked Harry, but he didn't like him that much. The only male he trusted Leigh-Anne with was Harvey...and he thought that spoke volumes.

"No!" Harry blurted out. "I'm not...we're not. No."

"Then what is it? ...And if you're trying to tell me she's preggers, I'm gonna use your dimples as fucking ashtrays," Zayn threatened. Leigh-Anne didn't say that they weren't being intimate, and the glow she was radiating these days would make plenty of sense.

"No, she's not preggers. Be very awkward if she was though," Harry said drumming his fingers on his knees. "I was-"

"How would that be awkward? She not good enough to have your baby?" Zayn sneered getting defensive. It was no secret that Harry came from old money, Harry only choose to work at a bakery because he enjoyed it as a hobby to pass the time. The ravenette knew Leigh-Anne would be a perfect mother; she was always so warm and loving, plus she could cook her arse off in the kitchen. There was no reason why she wouldn't fit the bill to carry anyone's child.

"No, I mean...I know Leigh would be a fantastic mum, but we haven't um...yet. So I think she and I would need to have a talk about that if that was the case, and thank God it's not," Harry said pulling on his shirt. Zayn was a good mate, but he could be pretty intimidating sometimes when it came to Leigh-Anne. He was protective of her, and that was fine, Harry only wanted him to know that he appreciated all of his work but he could relax now, he wanted to be the one to protect Leigh-Anne at all times.

"You haven't..?" Zayn pressed giving him a look. That was a lie. Harry had to be lying. There's no way Harry hadn't by now, he was just lying so Zayn wouldn't punch his pretty face in.

If Leigh-Anne wasn't his best friend and just another girl he randomly bumped into, he probably would've tried to get into her pants by now. When they hit puberty and Leigh-Anne's breasts sprouted it was hard pretending he didn't notice the swell of them or how perky they were. It was hard pretending he didn't notice how round her arse had gotten, or that her waist to hip ratio was just insane. His best friend had became a full blown woman with curves almost overnight and he tried to keep every male within a five yard radius as far away from her as possible.

In short, Harry had to be lying because Leigh-Anne was an incredibly fit bird.

"No," Harry shook his head and looked down to avoid Zayn's prying eyes. He wasn't embarrassed about it, he just wasn't comfortable talking about it with Zayn, and quite frankly, it wasn't any of his damn business what he and Leigh-Anne did or didn't do. He didn't even like talking about it with his mate, Louis, who also adored Leigh-Anne.

"Right," Zayn relented in disbelief.

"Yeah, so back to what I was trying to say," Harry bit the inside of his cheek and sighed. "Do you think Leigh would want to move in together?"

"No," Zayn spat immediately not even hearing what Harry had asked. After a moment had passed and his question had registered, Zayn spoke again. "No, absolutely not. No."

"Are you sure? She and I just spend so much time at each others flats, mostly me at hers, and she doesn't seem to mind so..." Harry trailed off. He was barely ever at his place, as in never. He spent this week at hers, sleeping in her bed and waking up to cook her breakfast before she headed out for work and he'd go shopping for food either before or after his shift. The two of them were very domestic already, they had great chemistry and it just worked for them, it only made sense if they moved in together. It seemed like they were rushing it, and in all truth, they probably were, but Harry knew he wanted to be with Leigh-Anne for a very long time. This was just one of several big steps that he wanted to make with her.

"No," Zayn repeated. "Take it from me, she'll start to pester you in a few more weeks. Don't do it."

"Um...okay," Harry spoke doubtfully with a nod, he could never get tired of Leigh-Anne, even if she was on his arse about the most insignificant thing. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Yeah, shoot."

"Why'd you and Leigh never date?"

Zayn barked out a hearty laugh. What a silly question to ask! He could never date Leigh-Anne, she was his best mate since forever, and if they had dated years ago they most likely wouldn't be friends now; Zayn was a terrible boyfriend in the past. It took a few major heartbreaks of his own and constant heart-to-hearts with Leigh-Anne about his indiscretions before he stopped being a jerk when he was in relationship, and now he was a proper boyfriend because of it.

"I'm not fucking with you, Zayn," Harry stated with a straight face, not finding anything amusing. Zayn was acting so odd today! "You guys have so much in common, almost too much, and when she talks about you, she hasn't a dull word to say. The two of you practically read each others minds and finish each others sentences, and you guys would look great together," Harry rambled shaking his head.

That was the one thing that bugged him, how flawless they were together...or could be together. He knew his relationship wasn't in jeopardy, he was tightly wrapped around Leigh-Anne's pinkie and he loved every second of it. He loved her, he'd never met someone like her in his life and he wanted to snuff out the one insecurity he had before things got really serious between them. She might not have said it back, but he knew, he could feel it. See it in her eyes, her smiles and the way she always went out of her way to make him happy, how she sorted him out when he needed it.

"Mate, Leigh's a good girl," Zayn said still laughing. Harry frown at him, it wasn't funny to begin with, why was he still laughing? "She's the best, but she's not my type, and I've known her for as long as I can remember. Couldn't go back to being best mates if I was a shit boyfriend to her, yeah?"

"She's not your type," Harry echoed back to him slowly. How could she not be his type? She was gorgeous, intelligent, funny, independent, level-headed...Leigh-Anne was damn near perfect. Actually, no, he took that back. She was perfect. Her few flaws made her perfect. Yeah, she would wail like a banshee whenever she saw a teeny-weeny bug, but Harry would kill said bug for even daring to frighten his woman!

"And you've never looked at her that way? Ever?" Harry asked, it was his last question. Leigh and Zayn just had so much history together already and Harry knew he couldn't compare his what, three measly months? To almost their entire lives.

"Nah, Leigh's like one of the guys," Zayn replied easily.

_x

 

He had lied. Leigh-Anne was not one of the guys.

But it wasn't until after the conversation with Harry that Zayn started to realize this.

The next time they were together he had to actively stop himself from checking out his best friend. He noticed how sharp her cheekbones were, or how flat and toned her stomach actually was and how it contracted beneath his fingertips when he began to tickle her. Zayn prided himself on being able to spot her fake smiles - she was great at hiding the things that really got to her - but when he asked about how her visit with her mum had went he noticed how the right side of her bottom lip would dip a little lower showing that she was smiling a little harder to hide the pain. Everything about her, big or small, he had begun to take notice of...he was quite frightened by it.

He shouldn't be looking at his "best friend forever" like she was another (hot) girl on the street that he would shag without a second thought. He shouldn't notice the blatant love bites scattered across her collarbone, gifts from Harry of course, and get so incredibly jealous that he ignored the next round of texts the guy had sent him. He shouldn't have to take a cold shower after seeing her get dressed up in a little black dress and heels, that it was entirely too cold for, because she and Harry were going out for his birthday. He shouldn't! He just shouldn't, dammit! Her bronzed legs wrapped around his waist, her manicured nails scratching his back, her full lips marking her claim on him, those aren't things he should think about.

He thought he was going mad, he thought maybe it was something she was doing differently. He did pick up a scent of a different perfume she'd been wearing lately - he wasn't even aware that she even wore perfume until now! He only knew she smelled nicely, but her current scent was too alluring for his liking, he shouldn't want to press his face into her neck and run his nose along her jawline just to smell her better. That was just fucking weird! All in all, there hadn't been any noticeable change in their relationship, she hadn't been doing anything out of the ordinary; she was the same old Leigh-Anne, it was him. All him.

With these new...let's call them cravings for his best friend, he found that he could no longer look at her the same way. Harry planted the "what if" seed in Zayn's mind and that's all he could think about was what if they had dated? What if he had been a good boyfriend to her, would they still be together? What if he missed out on having a perfect relationship because he wanted to chase after girls that were no good? ...What if Leigh-Anne had experienced these same thoughts and feelings at one point in time and he was as oblivious to it then, as she was now to him?

There was a night that she slept over at his place since Harry had been busy with family things, and she'd been in a cuddling mood, pressed closely to his side, her arms around him. This wasn't anything out of the ordinary, Leigh-Anne had always been a natural born cuddler, but it was the stir in his loins when she sighed sadly into his neck, lips teasing, and how her chest rubbed him, that a major red flag went up. It was a red flag, fireworks (sparklers included), and blaring alarms all in his mind that this wasn't right.

He wasn't right.

Zayn couldn't bring himself to look at Leigh-Anne as just his best friend anymore; that wasn't good enough for him. 

___xx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot I had an account on here >__


	4. 4

For the first time in years the shoe was on the other foot. 

Leigh-Anne had called Zayn at some ungodly time in the morning, which was really anytime before nine, saying she really needed to talk —and man did she talk. 

"He's too perfect, Zayn! How am I supposed to fit in his perfect little world with his perfect family and be the perfect girlfriend? He asked me if I wanted to move in with him and I told him I'd think about it but I know I can't, I'm scared... And if we move in together it's gonna make everything between us real," she said and started blubbering more about Harry.

On instinct, even with most of his mind and body still rebooting from being abruptly woken up, Zayn was ready to hop in the car, speed over to her place and comfort her, kick Harry's arse, or kick Harry's arse first, and then comfort her. One of those.

"I'm coming over," he announced sitting up in his bed and tiredly looking for a t-shirt he could quickly throw on. 

"You can't." Leigh-Anne sniffled and petted Harvey on his head. 

"I can. I am. I'll be there in -"

"Zayn, you can't!" she hissed and turned around to look over her shoulder when she thought she heard a noise behind her. "Harry's here."

Zayn stopped bending over, he was about to stick his foot in his shoe and instead sat up straight. Leigh-Anne was crying and Harry was over there? Did he not hear how loudly she was crying? Why wasn't he doing anything about it?

"Why?"

"We um...and he spent the night since he usually does. He's asleep in my room and I'm out on the couch so I wouldn't wake him up," she explained and Harvey whined in her lap feeling very unappreciated in his attempt to make her feel better. 

"With Harvey, the best doggy in the world," she cooed in a baby voice, playing with his fuzzy cheek. Harvey approved of the title and licked her fingers, he only received a broken smile from her but that was a step in the right direction.

Zayn quietly had a seat on the end of his bed. He was simmering in his grey sweatpants.

Just days after he told Harry that moving in with her was a bad idea, that idiot decides to ask her anyways and now she was crying. Crying because it was, "too much for her to handle," and apparently she had slept with him, for what Zayn assumed was, for the first time.

He had half a mind to go over there and still kick his arse!

"Leigh, tell me something?"

"Yeah?" she whispered, rubbing her pink eyes.

"What's the real reason you won't move in with him?" Zayn asked softly, and she sighed heavily and sniffled again. 

"I told you, he's perfect! I can't be this perfect person for him, Zayn!"

"Trust me, the guy is far from perfect." Zayn rolled his eyes recalling all the dumb things he's heard Harry say and do over the course of these few months, idly wondering if Harry suffered from a small case of schizophrenia. He would do the most insane things in public and not care that people were sending him strange looks, or more importantly, that he was embarrassing the hell out of Zayn while he was doing it.

Yeah, Harry had his own little world alright, but it wasn't perfect. Very far from it, actually.

"That's an excuse, I want a valid reason, Leigh. Just the other day you were telling me how wonderful he was," Zayn scoffed. 

Harry was still a child, and whenever he reminded her of it, she'd get defensive and say that Zayn was a kid too, to which he would retort that Harry was younger than him and that meant she was robbing the cradle. Harry didn't fully understand what it meant to be a man and how to be a real man to a real woman and their relationship was going to fail because of it.

"Because he is!"

"Okay, so what's the problem?"

"I can't!"

"Why not?" Zayn pressed, trying to elicit a response that he would like. There had to be a good reason for her not wanting to move in with a 'perfect' guy. If he was so perfect she would've already jumped at the chance to live under the same roof as him. "Do you love him?"

Her heart stopped at the question and her mind asked a thousand more.

Did she? Could she honestly say she loved Harry? She had only started talking to Harry so she could get over Zayn. Admittedly, she didn't think she'd actually get this far and enjoy being around him and basking in the attention he constantly showered her with. There was nothing that could make her demur to the fact that Harry was a great boyfriend, none, because he was. But did she love him?

"I...I do. I love him," she confessed shakily. It was the first time she had ever said that aloud. "But I'm not in love with him. Like, I have love for him, I'd never want anything bad to happen to him... But I'm just not in love with him.."

Zayn was waiting for the "yet" to come but it never did.

"What about in a few months? Think you'll be in love with him then?" 

Zayn wasn't sure why he was asking questions that he knew certain answers would lacerate his heart to hear. Probably because he was still trying to be that best mate he'd always been to Leigh-Anne when she needed. He'd finally come to terms with the way he'd been feeling about her recently and clung to the idea that he was in love with his best mate and needed to be slapped around for not realizing it sooner. At first he was lusting after those curves of hers and figured he needed a good lay, but he was wrong, so very wrong, and he knew there had to be more to it than him noticing her appealing appearance. He couldn't get it up properly with the floozy he rang up and before she could make a smart remark about his performance, he disconnect his plug from her outlet and left. 

She wasn't Leigh-Anne and nobody else would do. 

There wasn't a spark there when the girl kissed his cheek as she greeted him at her door, all of the cheek kisses Leigh-Anne had left the past few weeks made him want to turn his head just a bit so their lips would touch; he craved to feel her lips on his. The woman wasn't the right height, she was the wrong body type, had wrong eye and hair color and definitely the wrong hair type. Everything was wrong. Even when he touched the spot he knew for a fact could make Leigh-Anne laugh, the broad hadn't even cracked a smile.

Zayn and Leigh-Anne had a connection that was passed that of the best friend level, he could feel it like an undercurrent and he could only hope Leigh-Anne could feel it too and knew it was there. Then he would just try his damnedest to make her see that the two of them were meant to be all along...and not make her hate him for not believing in what she and Harry had. 

"Probably not..." she breathed, eyes looking at her painted toes. "I mean, I could try, but if I have to try then it wouldn't really be true love, right?"

"Right," Zayn agreed quickly.

"And besides, when Harry came into my life I had just wanted to forget and he was a great distraction so I just went with it. I didn't honestly think I'd ever get this far with him, I'm glad I did, but moving in with him and stuff is just too much. It's all happening too fast and I'm still not ready after I feel like I just might be getting over.." she paused her rambling before she let that old secret spill. 

She did love Harry, but the love she had for Zayn was different. She loved Zayn hard for years and that's not something she could get over in a matter of a few months. Through the ups and downs of life they'd been by each others sides and that's just not something she could erase. The way she generally carried herself was because of Zayn's influence in her life, it was her always wanting him to see her as something more that kept her on her P's and Q's. Leigh-Anne made sure she groomed herself into someone worthy of Zayn and his family.

"Over..?" Zayn asked. "...Did something happen between your parents again when you visited and you didn't tell me? You've gotta stop doing that, Leigh. It always makes you depressed when you don't talk about it and you know I'm just a call away!"

"No, it wasn't that, I would've called. It was uh...something else. Anyways," she rushed and began again. "I just can't do it...Is it wrong? Am I wrong for not wanting to move in with him? Does that make me selfish?"

Zayn sighed into the palm of his hand. Leave it to Leigh-Anne to think that she was the problem in this situation.

"No, you're the most selfless person there is, I've been a witness to that all my life," he denied with a shake of his head that she couldn't see. "It's not your fault that you aren't ready to move in with him, and if he cares about you, he won't pressure you into making a decision you're not ready to make..."

Zayn checked the time on his phone. It was almost time for the sun to start rising and those annoying birds outside of his window to start squawking —fuck, he hated them in the morning.

"But I think that if I say yes it's like, no turning back from this and I just can't..I can't.." She started sniffling again.

"If you start crying, I'm gonna come over there. Leigh, just tell him no, he can't get mad at you for it, okay? It's already getting to you and you haven't even given him an answer. Like, you've gotta be able to say 'no' to this guy, I know he's a smooth talker and all but...what if you say 'yes'? Yeah. And then in another few months he asks about marriage? Can you really see yourself marrying this guy when you hardly know him? Not because he's a good guy and would be able to take care of you financially and stuff, but because you can't tell him that you're not ready?" Zayn asked. He'd strangulate Harry if he did. 

Zayn heard her sigh on her end.

"I remember when -" then she screamed out of nowhere and that threw Zayn into an immediate panic.

"Leigh? Leigh?!"

The only thing he could hear was whispers.

Leigh-Anne had one hand on her chest to calm her racing heart and the other was holding her phone. 

Harry had awoken when he rolled over in bed wanting to pull her close, kiss her neck and tell her he loved her but she wasn't there, then, the search for her was on. He just wasn't expecting to find her on the couch talking on the phone and sniffling.

"Babe, what's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked rubbing her cold, bare arms. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Uh yeah," she sniffled. "I'm alright. I couldn't sleep so I decided to wake Zayn up and have a chat." She flashed Harry her phone and sniffled again.

"It's cold out here," Harry said, feeling her shiver from the warm touch of his hand. "Come back to bed."

"In a sec. I'll finish up with Zayn and be right there," she told him and smiled, hoping he would just leave out of the room. She was starting to feel suffocated by his constant hovering and could only imagine what living with him would feel like, there'd be no escaping him.

"Or..." Harry plucked her phone from her hands and said, "Zayn?"

Zayn couldn't believe him right now.

"Yeah, Harry?"

"Thanks for keeping Leigh company but I've got it under control now. We'll have to get up sometime this week, Louis' been asking about you. Later." Harry hung up not letting Zayn get out another word. Another word that would've most likely been a slew of curse words.

"That cunt!" Zayn yelled, tempted to throw his phone in anger. She told him in a second, he had no right to take her phone and end their phone call.

_x

"Have you told him yet?" Jade asked Leigh-Anne on their lunch break.

She needed a woman's perspective on this moving in with Harry situation and who better than her best friend, Jade? 

"No." Leigh-Anne's shoulders drooped and she slumped forward. The entire situation was depressing. 

"And Zayn? How does he feel about it?" Jade pushed, knowing that Leigh-Anne held Zayn's feelings and opinions high above those of everyone else's.

No matter what Leigh-Anne felt for Harry, it wouldn't compare to what she had felt, and was probably still feeling, for Zayn...though she's suppressed it since she's been with Harry. Jade liked that Harry made Leigh-Anne happy, how he was there when Leigh-Anne was hurting over Zayn and healed her. Even still, Jade was convinced that this thing they had was only temporary and Jade was gifted with foresight when it came to relationships. This wasn't meant to be permanent, it wasn't a longterm relationship that would eventually lead to a happy marriage and a family. It's sole purpose was to show Leigh-Anne that there were other guys out there that can love and cherish her the way Zayn was failing to, and to give Zayn a wake-up call that she could be gone in a snap and in another man's arms if he didn't wise up.

"Zayn hates the idea. He didn't say he did, but I could tell because he was doing that thing where he needs to know the 'who, what, when, where, why, and how' about something before he gives his real thoughts. Usually that means he's giving you the chance to hear what you're admitting aloud and come to the same conclusion so you don't feel stupid. It's kinda like a game, and when you get to the 'how' questions, you've lost; you should know how. And it's crazy cause I never catch it until I'm worked up about him interrogating me and being in my business. Sometimes I wonder if —what? Why are you looking at me that way?" She asked when Jade's face when from "Concerned and Comforting Friend" to that of a sneaky fox.

"Oh, no reason..." Jade lied with an impish grin and a devilish glint in her eyes.

"Jade, now isn't the time to play around," Leigh-Anne huffed. She had a problem and Jade wasn't aiding her the way she assumed she would. 

"C'mon, Leigh, you can't be that oblivious!" Jade pointed out. "I know you have your spacey moments, but geez!" Jade threw her hands up in the air - no waving like she just didn't care, occurred - and groaned.

"Now you're just not making sense. What are you talking about?" Leigh-Anne asked, rolling her eyes.

"He loves ya, you idiot!" Jade finally declared, getting red in the face.

"I know Harry loves me, that's why I don't wanna hurt him."

Jade slapped her forehead in despair. "Not Harry. Zayn! Zayn loves you and even if you won't admit it, you still love him too!" she hollered.

There was a pause.

"Of course Zayn loves me, he's my best friend." Leigh-Anne scoffed, Jade was being ridiculous.

"And you tease me for being a tad slow?" Jade asked rhetorically. "Zayn loves you in a non-best friend way now. He wants to be with you but he doesn't want to break you and Harry up if you're truly happy with him."

(But he was considering doing that anyways.)

"So...what new teen romance novel have you been reading to come up with that?" 

"Oi! Shut your face! It's an adult novella and it is amazing!" Jade replied passionately. She loved her romance books. "And Liam told me."

Leigh-Anne's eyebrows met her hairline in surprise and confusion.

"Liam Payne? Payno?" 

Jade nodded and looked away, waiting to be bombarded with questions.

"Since when did you and Liam start talking? Why would he tell you and not me? And why hasn't that wanker texted me in forever?" Leigh-Anne asked.

"Well uh..." Jade cleared her throat and nervously twisted some of her hair around her finger. "Remember when you introduced us at Zayn's birthday party?"

Yeah, she remembered. Liam was a fumbling, mumbling mess around her pixie-like friend and she didn't think anything would actually come out of the introduction. She was happy seeing that her efforts paid off.

"Well, we got on pretty well the rest of the night -after he spilled his drink on my dress and wouldn't stop apologizing - and he said he'd buy me a new one because he ruined it and that he'd take me out to dinner... Long story short, we've been chatting ever since," Jade said to hurry up.

"And you didn't think to tell me?" Leigh-Anne pouted.

"You've been busy and it's not that important," Jade replied casually.

Leigh-Anne smiled wickedly at her friends nonchalant attitude and Jade started fidgeting in her seat.

"You nasty gal!" she declared laughing at Jade's newly pink painted cheeks and wiggling her eyebrows. "Was it the biceps or those washboard abs?"

"Both! C'mon, Leigh, you've seen those things, I couldn't help myself! Don't be angry with me!" Jade begged. She had been planning on telling Leigh-Anne but she was so wrapped up in Harry and being Jade, she didn't want to ruin her "healing time."

"I didn't know Liam operated so smoothly with women!" Leigh-Anne cackled. It must've been that awkward charm of his. "I'm not angry, obviously, Liam's a great guy."

"So you're not mad?" Jade peeped.

"No, not at all."

She was hoping Leigh-Anne would take the news well, she really liked Liam.

"Do you think he could be 'The One'?" Leigh-Anne asked seriously, leaning over the table. They were perfect for each other! Leigh-Anne and Zayn had matched them together awhile back just for kicks until they realized it could actually work.

Jade snorted. "Of course he is. I'm making him 'The One' if he likes it or not." 

Leigh-Anne laughed again at Jade's semi-aggressive nature, you'd never guess she was like that until you really got to know her.

"But this conversation isn't about Liam and I, it's about you and Zayn. Just talk to him, Leigh..." Jade's voice softened for the last sentence. Liam made it sound like Zayn was in a bad place not knowing what to do with all of these feelings for Leigh-Anne especially when she was currently in a relationship. 

"I'll talk to him and prove that you and Liam don't know what you're talking about."

"Zayn loves you and you love him too," Jade stated firmly, her eyes locked on Leigh-Anne's. "You don't love Harry like you think you do and you should tell him that you're not going to move in with him." 

"It's too late for Zayn to have those feelings for me anyways!" Leigh-Anne snapped, not wanting to hear anymore of what Jade was saying.

Of course he would start having feelings for her when she got over him and was happy with somebody else...that prick.

"I'm over it and I'm over him. I loved him for years, Jade. Years! He didn't even care to notice and I'm passed it," she declared.

"Then why are you so upset if you're over it?" Jade wondered knowing her friend was lying to herself. She would never be over Zayn. 

"Because...because there were onions on my sandwich!" she yelled getting up and throwing her tray out.

Angrily she stomped away from her friend, not bothering to see if Jade was following and when Leigh-Anne was out of earshot, Jade remembered something.

"You brought that sandwich from home.."

_x

Jade's words had mindfucked Leigh-Anne's brain and she couldn't stop thinking about it.

Why now? Why would Zayn want to return her feelings now? Now, after she was happy with someone else and no longer pinning after him? And to make it worse, Jade had heard this from Liam, and Liam always told the truth. Always. (Scouts honor.) And if there was one person that was almost as close to Zayn as she was, it was Liam.

"It's your turn and you only have one move, Leigh," Zayn spoke interrupting her thoughts. 

They were playing chess. Zayn learned it from his Grandfather and Leigh-Anne had learned it from him so she would be able to spend more time around him. That was over ten years ago and she had yet to beat him in a game. 

"Leigh?" Zayn asked waving his hand in her face until she slapped it away, the contact leaving her heart in the pit of her stomach.

'No. No. No,' she thought frantically. She hadn't felt that feeling since before Harry came into her life and she didn't want to feel it now.

Finally she made her move.

"You alright?" Zayn asked. She was acting weird from the moment he came over. Leigh-Anne was too quiet and too lost in thought for her to be alright, he couldn't let her lie her way out of telling him what was wrong. Usually she had plenty to say, a real chatterbox when she was bored enough, and she hadn't even answered him when he asked how work went.

"I'm fine," she huffed, waiting on him to move.

"Or you could just tell me what's the matter instead of acting like something isn't bothering you? Is it Harry?" Zayn wondered before reaching in his pocket and checking the time. This was the longest and shortest match they have ever played. Long because she took forever to make a move, short because if she was making timely moves, the game would've been over half an hour ago.

"It's not Harry," she denied with a shake of her head and watching him move one of his pieces.

No. It definitely wasn't Harry this time.

"So what is it? Cause you're kinda scaring me. Was work really that bad today?"

"Did you know Liam and Jade are dating?" she asked suddenly, making her last move before the game was over. 

"Are they?" Zayn asked back, honestly surprised that Liam had it in him to persue her.

"They are." She nodded. "Seems kinda serious from what I gathered from Jade...And she heard this funny thing from Liam the other day.."

"Well that's gonna be hard to believe. Liam's humor is so..."

"Boring?" she offered, thinking of some of the lame jokes she's heard him tell.

Zayn chuckled. "It's just a bit dry. So what did he say? ...Checkmate."

"Liam told Jade that you said you loved me," she replied, deciding that she really needed to hear him refute this accusation so she could go on stressing over this moving in thing with Harry again. She had enough on her plate without knowing her best mate was now in love with her when at a point in time, that was all she ever wanted. "Like, we're getting married in your dreams and living in a house on a hill, kinda love."

Zayn's busy hands stilled over his pieces that he was moving back into place for another match and that was enough hesitation for Leigh-Anne to pick up on and question everything she thought she knew about their friendship.

Zayn chuckled unenthusiastically and went back to adjusting his pieces; he was going to kill Liam for outting him like that. He wasn't ready to actually admit his love to her.

"Interesting.." Zayn mumbled, eyes still focused on the game board.

"So?" she prodded, placing her pieces back into their appropriate places. He hadn't even tried to answer her question!

"So...what?" he asked back.

"So...isn't that funny?" she wondered.

"Hilarious," Zayn agreed, thinking they needed to squash this conversation right now.

"Right," she said dryly. "Wanna know what else I find hilarious about this?"

Zayn hummed.

"That you only bring over the chess board when you're stressed," she stated. After his Grandfather had passed away Zayn wasn't very excited about playing and only played when he had a problem he couldn't figure out and it was beginning to eat him up inside.

"Well..." Zayn replied thinking of a way out of this because she was right. He only blew the dust off this game when he didn't know what else to do about a situation. Too bad his problem wasn't easily solved and it had to do with his heart and his stunning best mate who was sitting across from him and leaning in closer to his face every second.

"Zayn, seriously...is this about me thinking about moving in with Harry?"

Zayn's face scrunched together in disgust. "Thought you said you didn't want to?"

"I've been considering it.." Not so soon, but in a few months...But first she needed to get this Zayn thing sorted out.

Zayn became angry. Now she was considering it?

"Weren't you just crying to me about how this was stressing you out?" he shouted, feeling himself implode. He couldn't keep his cool any longer and he wasn't the one for yelling.

"Why are you yelling, Zayn?" Leigh-Anne calmly. She didn't see what Zayn could possibly be mad at. This was something she had decided on her own, it was unilateral choice and would effect her, not him. 

"Because you're fucking mad! How could you possibly-what?!" Zayn wanted to flip the chess board over in frustration. "Are you shitting me right now?"

"No. I'm just saying that it might not be as bad as I think." Leigh-Anne shrugged her shoulders. She didn't think about how enjoyable it might actually be living with him and instead chose to look at all the reasons why she shouldn't. "Harry loves me and I l-"

And Zayn's lips pressed to hers so quickly so she wouldn't finish that sentence. He couldn't bare to hear her say that she loved that prat, she was obviously under some delusion if she thought that she did.

Shocked wasn't the word for what Leigh-Anne was right now. How long had she waited for Zayn to kiss her? 

Leigh-Anne pushed him away and wiped her mouth of his sinful kiss. He tasted exactly like she knew he would, mint with a hint of smoke from his cigarettes, a strange yet pleasing combination that he alone could master and pull off effortlessly.

"The bloody hell, Zayn?!" she asked still trying to forget the feel of his lips on hers and how right it felt and how very wrong it really was. "Why'd you do that?!"

"You don't love him!" he shouted.

...How dare he?

"Don't tell me how I feel about Harry! I love him, okay?" she hissed.

"No, you don't!" Zayn yelled. "If you did you would've slapped the shit outta me when I kissed you a second ago!" He was actually quiet pleased that she hadn't.

So Leigh-Anne cocked her hand back and slapped him as hard as she could.

"Was that slap good enough or would you prefer a backhand?" she asked, feeling manipulated.

Years. Fucking years she had waited for him to kiss her and when he finally does, it was because he was trying to prove a point?

Zayn held his face and regretted opening his mouth and taunting her. "Just face it, you don't love him, Leigh," he muttered. His face hurt like hell, but it was worth it. "You don't love him the way you think you do."

"I do, so stop trying to convince me that I don't! I love-"

Obviously the first slap wasn't hard enough because when Zayn leaned in again, Leigh-Anne struck him once more.

"Stop it!" she screamed.

"Why should I? I love you too!" he confessed.

"Because I have a boyfriend!"

"So?"

"What do you mean, 'So'? You've been cheated on before, what makes you think Harry deserves that?" Leigh-Anne scurried away from her position on the floor and stood up. "What's the matter with you?!"

"What's the matter with me?" Zayn echoed and laughed. "Other than the fact that my face is burning like hell and that you think you love Harry? Nothing."

Leigh-Anne groaned. "I know what I feel, Zayn!"

Zayn scoffed and rolled his eyes. "And what exactly do you feel, Leigh? Besides confused? Because I know how you feel about me."

"Right now I feel like you need to leave," she stated, pointedly ignoring his bait. That one kiss just shatted her illusion and she was waking up to a terrifying reality that she wasn't ready to face.

"Why? So you can cry and finally come to your senses? Yeah, cause Jade also told Liam this funny thing about how you've been in love with me for years," Zayn said, standing up and smugly crossing his arms over his chest. It was only a matter of time before she and Harry broke up and he could be with her. 

"I know it took you getting with someone else for me to get it, you know I'm not the brightest when it comes to feelings and relationships, but I don't get why you're fighting it? Harry wouldn't even know!"

"You wanna know why Zayn?" Leigh-Anne asked softly. It was no use trying to hold in the tears escaping her eyes and that was enough to wipe the smug look off Zayn's face and have him reach out to comfort her. "Don't you dare touch me!" she hissed, smacking his hand away.

"You don't understand how much you hurt me, Zayn." She sniffled and swiped at her eyes. "I did. I loved you, and I sat by and watched you date all of these no-good slags for years and everytime it just broke my heart all over again. I warned you about all of them, about how they didn't care about you and what they were really after when it came down to it. And I was always there for you when they broke your heart, but never once did you think about me or my feelings."

"Leigh, I -" He didn't know.

"No! I don't wanna hear it, Zayn!" she screamed, wrapping her arms around herself and praying that Harry would just come home. "Years of helping you pick up the pieces to your broken heart when all I wanted was a chance to prove that I wouldn't be like them and play with your emotions. That I could love you and be all you needed and more because I loved you so damn much... And it was like you didn't even care!"

"I didn't know!" 

"Don't fucking lie to me, Zayn! You're not that fucking dim! You had to know how I felt about you!" she snapped. "But no, you wanted to chase after everything with a damn skirt and couldn't give two shits about you! It hurt watching you be happy with them, then watching your relationship nosedive before I had to swoop in and be a good best mate and comfort you an say that it was going to be alright.

Leigh-Anne chuckled bitterly. "And now that I'm finally fucking happy with someone that isn't you, all of a sudden you want to be with me? For the sake of irony, now you're gonna acknowledge my feelings? That bullshit! So many years, Zayn. So many! Wasted, pinning over you when you weren't going to return my feelings... cause I was your best mate."

"But I-"

"So tell me..." Leigh-Anne interrupted, smiling sadly. "How does it feel watching the person you love, love someone else? Shitty, ain't it?" she asked sarcastically. It was just a taste of his own medicine. "Now multiply that by all of the relationships you've been in for the past ten years and maybe, just maybe, it'll measure up to how I felt."

"I didn't know..." Zayn repeated and took a step forward, wanting to hold her in his arms. She looked crazy, laughing and crying at the same time. "Leigh, you know I'd never do anything to purposely hurt you. If I'd known.."

Leigh-Anne cackled, head thrown back dramatically. "If you had known...what exactly? That I was painstakingly in love with you? You would've suddenly decided I was good enough to be with?"

"No! It's not that you weren't good enough, you are!" 

"Oh!" Leigh-Anne snapped her fingers and widened her pinked eyes in realization before tugging on her hair twice. "It must be because I'm not a blonde! Then again, you did have that thing for redheads a few years ago, that was why I dyed my hair red back then...Or is it because my eyes aren't blue or green? Fuck, they aren't even hazel like yours." 

"It's not-"

"Was it my tits? Hmm? I like to think they're a good size, and Perrie was as flat as a board! Nope, nope, I've got it..." Leigh-Anne slapped her ass and laughed. "My ass just wasn't big enough, huh? Do you know how hard I worked on this ass?! Do you??"

Hundreds of hours doing squats, lunges and fucking mountain climbers. All for him. Just so she could be as attractive as possible. She had even gone as far as waist training so she could get more of an hourglass figure, something she noticed he looked for in some of the females he chased.

"Well you know what?"

Zayn was afraid to ask 'what?'

"Harry loves me anyways! He pays attention to me and my feelings and he puts me first. Not second to some smoking habit, third to sleeping or even fourth to art. First. Number one," she said and grinned to herself. "And I love him for it."

Zayn was at a loss for words. He had no idea Leigh-Anne felt that way about him, and if she'd felt that way for years then...then he had to be the biggest wanker ever. He hurt her emotionally and was constantly damaging her self-esteem without even meaning to. She did a lot just for him to look at her differently and he never did.

Leigh-Anne sighed and felt herself winding down. She had tuckered herself out with the crying, yelling, and borderline mental breakdown.

"I think you should leave," she told him, bending over to collect her pieces and put them away in the box. 

"I think we should talk.." Zayn said slowly.

She laughed again. "Who here gives a shit about what you think right now? Not I!" she singsonged. "Not anymore! So if it's about anything I just said, then you definitely need to leave. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'm done."

"Leigh, I'm sorry alright?" Zayn groaned. "I didn't know! I swear! Hearing you say all that and crying and...shit. Man, I'm sorry! I never meant to put you through any that. And let's face it, if we'd dated years ago we probably wouldn't have been mates this long. You know how I treated girls and I could never forgive myself if I would've hurt you like I did some of my ex's. I wouldn't have appreciated you back then."

"So letting me practically suffer on the sidelines for years was a better alternative? Yeah, thanks for that. I feel sooo much better about myself." Leigh-Anne scoffed and rolled her eyes. 

She even tried on several occasions to subtly seduce him and even that didn't work. Like when she spent the night and made it a point to sleep in the same bed with him, with no bra, and the shortest pajama shorts she had without exposing for much of her goodies. Or persuading his mum to give her the recipes to his favorite meals because he was stressed and all she wanted was for him to relax and nothing calmed him like the taste of his mothers cooking. And chances were, he might've been a shitty boyfriend but nothing could wreck their friendship. They needed each other in their lives and that was a fact. 

The way they needed each other was debatable.

"Leigh, I just want a chance!" Zayn grabbed her hand and waited for the third stinging blow to his cheek. "I'm ready now."

"A chance?" Leigh-Anne asked wistfully and Zayn nodded eagerly. "That's all I wanted too.." she whispered, looking down at their connected hands, she'd be lying if she said her heart wasn't acting up from it. Treacherous thing. 

"So... you'll give me a chance?" Zayn asked hopefully. "Leigh, I promise-"

"Just get out of my damn house, Zayn," she muttered tiredly, snatching her smaller hand from his. She had enough of this and she wanted to lay down. "I have a headache."

"Then I'll make you some tea and -"

"Zayn!" she said raising her voice. "Just leave.."

"But you -"

Leigh-Anne sighed and sniffled, feeling round two of the waterworks begin. "Zayn, please... just go."

Zayn frowned knowing she wasn't going to be alright if he walked out that door. She was going to sit on the couch, cuddle Harvey - wherever he was this entire time, probably flirting with the neighbors dog in the backyard - and cry herself to sleep. 

"If I leave..." Zayn said carefully. "If I leave, will you be okay? I can't leave knowing you're not gonna be alright." He couldn't deny his feelings for her, and as her best friend, he couldn't leave knowing she was going to be a mess when he did.

She sent him a broken smile that sucker punched him in the gut knowing he was responsible for it.

"I'm always alright, even when I'm not, I'm always okay," she replied, wiping her eye when a tear almost fell.

"Right...And will you consider giving me a chance? Like, think it over, yeah?"

"I..." Leigh-Anne bit her lip and sighed, she wanted to say 'no.' She wanted to tell him no and that he needed to piss off with his emotions. 

But she couldn't do that.

"I'll think about it," she mumbled.

Zayn almost didn't hear her, but he was happy she would atleast consider the possibility of them being together. 

"Alright," he replied with a nod. Zayn gently clasped her hand in his and pulled her in for a soft embrace, nothing he wouldn't have done before he realized his feelings, this was normal. She didn't return the hug and he knew he wouldn't see or speak to her for a few days, he would give her space and time to think while she sorted herself out.

"I'll talk to you later, okay? I'm just a call away..." he whispered in her ear. Zayn gave her a squeeze, kissed her cheek, and let her go before grabbing his game that was all packed up and headed out the door.

Leigh-Anne tiredly plopped herself down in her couch and looked at the floor, at the spot she'd been sitting when Zayn kissed her...and a piece she had forgotten to pick up.

"Why now?" she asked herself, staring down the forgotten piece. Had this been months ago and the both of them were single, she would've thrown caution to the wind and let him take her on the Shougí board for all she cared. Now she had Harry. She was happy. She loved him. Harry loved her.

Why would Zayn want to ruin that?

"Selfish bastard," she muttered pulling her legs up until she was able to rest her chin on her knees.

What was she going to tell Harry? ...Should she even tell him? 

"I have to tell him, he has a right to know." Leigh-Anne sighed and shook her head. Maybe Harry wouldn't flip his shit when he found out Zayn kissed her, or maybe he would and would leave her altogether because he knew she would most likely choose her friendship with Zayn over their relationship.

She could tell he was somewhat wary of how close they were. After Zayn had shown up at her flat that day Harry had made it a point to turn up the romance when it came to their dates. She thought he didn't have any insecurities being a pretty much perfect human being, but apparently she was wrong. He kissed her more; light and soft kisses, and rough and passionate ones. He made sure they were always touching in someway, even if if was her hand in his hair, their feet rubbing each other, or their hands simply clasped together as they laid on one another. Harry wanted more from her, he had a plan for her and those plans were serious. Harry was her first serious relationship in what seemed like forever and that wasn't something she wanted to just throw away because something in Zayn's brain finally clicked. 

So did she go for what her heart desired for years? Or did she stay on this road with Harry and enjoy the ride?

_x

"Leigh, I'm home!" Harry announced happily as he opened the door to her place. He really hoped she'd move in with him so he'd be able to say that to her everyday, give her a kiss, and then start to cook dinner. 

He saw her sitting on the couch with her knees pulled up and into her chest, her head facing forward as she stared ahead. Quickly his eyes darted to the telly but it wasn't on. Weird, because he knew that's how she sat when she was watching that idiot box or one of her gory movies. (He never understood why or how she could watch that junk, but if it made his girl happy, he had no complaints.)

"Leigh?" he asked slowly approaching her still form. "Babe? Are you okay?" 

Leigh-Anne's eyes slowly found his and she looked at her loving boyfriend, her eyes dull and not filled with anything Harry recognized as her personal light. She'd been sitting like that for hours thinking about her, Zayn, and Harry. And when she finally came to a desision, she'd change her mind and think it through again until she realized that all she wanted was for Harry to walk through the door and make everything okay.

"You feeling alright?" he wondered, putting his wrist to her forehead. "Doesn't feel like a fever," he mumbled to himself as he removed his wrist. "Do you have a headache?"

Why yes, yes she did. But she couldn't bring herself to move and get something to ease the pain.

"Babe, you're scaring me," Harry said softly to her, his eyes looking over everything part of her persons. He had a seat beside her, untucked her legs, and effortlessly pulled her into his lap. "What's wrong?" His hand rubbed her stomach in an effort to coerce her into talking to him.

"Harry?" Leigh-Anne asked quietly.

"Yeah?" Harry bushed some of her hair out of the way so he could see more if her face. "What's wrong?" he asked again. Maybe she just wasn't feeling well and needed to lay down. (His ego would like to think he wore that arse out the other day but that probably wasn't it.)

"Promise me you won't get mad?" The last thing she wanted was for him to be angry. She needed him to be calm and okay with what she was going to say.

Harry smiled to himself and planted a small kiss to her cheek. "Don't be silly, Leigh. You know I could never be mad at you."

"Never say never," she whispered back.

_x

Just like he thought, Zayn hadn't spoken to Leigh-Anne in a few days. He wanted to call her and ask if he could come over, not because he wanted to know if she'd given his offer any thought, but because he wanted to check up on her and see how she was. They usually saw each other every other day, and to break their routine now felt too unnatural and foreign. The only information he had about how she was doing was passed from Jade to Liam and then himself, and it wasn't much since it seemed like Leigh-Anne was refusing to speak to anyone or show up for work.

(And in case if you were wondering, yes, Zayn did explode on Liam for telling Jade about his feelings for Leigh-Anne. Liam's only defense was that Jade was a very persuasive person who always got what she wanted;)

He missed her. He missed her a lot more than he thought was normal for a mere three days, though he tried dismissing it as anxiety about her answer. He woke up in the mornings wanting to text her. On his lunch breaks he found himself wanting to give her a ring and ask if she wanted to have a marathon of The Walking Dead. At night he wanted to call her and talk for hours until one, if not both of them, fell asleep. That, or having her come over and spend the night just like what he now called 'old times.' 

Better times.

Times when their friendship wasn't so complicated. Times when Leigh-Anne didn't have a boyfriend. Times when he was oblivious to his feelings for her and sadly enough, when he was oblivious to her feelings for him. Imagine his excitement his excitement when Liam told him that Leigh-Anne had been in love with him since middle school —they were full-fledged adults now! Zayn was just so sure of himself and how easy it would be to get her away from Harry and into his arms, it was the way he thought things should be.

'Not so easy, was it, Smartness?' he thought sourly, scowling at the floor. 

Zayn sighed and groaned as he pulled on his hair and shook his head. No. It wasn't. Because she still hadn't called him or even texted him letting him know that she was close to coming towards a decision, and Zayn wasn't so sure what he would do if she picked Harry.

Would that mean their friendship was over? Like, would she even want to be friends with him anymore after all of this? After he caused her so much pain after all of these years? Could he really endure sitting on the sidelines for however long, and watch the two of them go through the stages of a full-blown relationship? And what if it doesn't end? What if Leigh-Anne does fall in love with Harry and they get engaged and -

Zayn was hyperventilating. That was too many questions that he didn't have or even wanted answers to. 

Leigh? Engaged? Truth be told, though he never thought about Leigh-Anne in a romantic sense until recently, he always figured when they were old and not wrinkly - because the two of them  
would always have their incredible looks - that they would get married just because. Just because they'd been friends for so long and he knew Leigh-Anne wanted to be married before she kicked the bucket. That was one of the many things he wanted to do just for her in case she never did find 'The One' she wanted to be with forever. He hadn't given marriage much thought and didn't see himself ever getting married unless it was the situation previously stated...Plus they always say you should marry your best friend so... 

A light bulb went off in his head and made him wonder if he proposed to her, would she say yes? Cause he was ready, he was so ready to be with her and only her forever.

Zayn's next thought had him sweating.

What if in the past three days Leigh-Anne and Harry decided to elope? That would be terrible! That would be a disaster! He would have to force them to get an annulment! He would have to-

Zayn's doorbell rung frantically jolting him out of his now hectic thoughts. He needed to calm down before he gave himself an anxiety attack or something, things were going to be fine. He knew Leigh-Anne well enough to know she wouldn't elope with anyone, not even him, so he was getting himself worked up over nothing. 

"Piss off," he grumbled to his unknown and unwelcome visitor as he sat in his studio, gazing longly at that sketch of Leigh-Anne that he'd forgotten about and hadn't finished. 

That person did not piss off.

They continued ringing his doorbell until he approached his door groaning and cursing the entire way there. He looked out his peephole to see Harry standing there expressionlessly with one of his hands in his pocket.

'Oh, he definitely needs to piss off,' Zayn thought bitterly. Harry had been calling and texting him the last two days saying he wanted to hang out, saying it had been awhile since they chatted and he wanted to see how he was doing. 

"Zayn, I know you're home, open the door," Harry said looking directly at the peephole as if he knew Zayn was staring back at him. Zayn didn't answer and turned around to walk away, he didn't want to see or talk to Harry right now. "Come on, Zayn, just open up!" Harry shouted banging on the door. He had snuck Leigh's spare key to Zayn's house after he had dropped her off at the spa not too long ago and he could let himself in if he truly wanted to. He just wanted to see if Zayn would let him in willingly.

"Open the door!" Harry yelled banging harder on the wooden door and Zayn relented and opened it for him. "Finally!" Harry sighed stepping into Zayn's place. "Something wrong with your phone? You haven't called or texted me back so I figured I'd drop by to check on you."

"No. Just haven't been in the mood to deal with people," Zayn said easily. 

Especially people like Harry. More specifically, Harry himself.

"Oh... So how've you been, though?" Harry wondered standing there awkwardly. It seemed like Zayn didn't want him there and he didn't exactly blame him.

"Been alright I guess," Zayn replied, shrugging. He expected Harry to come in swinging after Leigh-Anne told him that he had kissed her, this Harry was too calm.

"Good to know.." Harry sighed again and ran a hand through his hair, he really didn't have time for right now, he had to pick Leigh-Anne up in an hour before they headed over to his Mum's for lunch. "So when were you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Zayn asked back, knowing full well what Harry was asking about.

"That you were in love with Leigh!" Harry said raising his voice some in frustration that Zayn wanted to act dumb. Zayn remained quiet and Harry continued. "Do you know how fucking stupid I felt after she told me?"

"I'd imagine incredibly stupid," Zayn said, rolling his eyes. 

"I thought we were mates?" Harry wondered, feeling completely betrayed. He'd let Zayn into his life with open arms because he knew he couldn't happily be with Leigh-Anne without having Zayn photobombing their relationship. "We hung out, I let you meet my other mates, my family... Why? And why didn't you tell me after I asked you that day? You said that she wasn't your type and that you'd never felt that way about her. You lied right in my face!"

Zayn sighed. "We are mates...were mates, Harry," he corrected. "And I didn't lie. At the time that was the truth, but things are different now. It's nothing personal, I just feel like-"

"I don't fucking care about how you feel, Zayn!" Harry yelled. "What about Leigh and how she feels?! When I came home that day I was so excited to see her and it was like she didn't want to look at me or even speak. I thought something was wrong and it turns out the guy who I'd thought was a friend, took it upon himself to start confessing his love for my girlfriend and had the fucking balls to kiss her!"

There was nothing for Zayn to deny when it was all true.

"So she cried, and that hurt. It hurt because there was nothing I could do to help her and I can't imagine how hard it would be for her to choose between us." Harry balled up his fists in anger. That was a lot more selfish than he thought Zayn was capable of being. "Why would you even put her in a position like that? If you cared about her, you would've taken this as a loss instead of trying to ruin our relationship."

Harry paused and took a deep breath in, giving Zayn a chance to respond but he didn't, so the lashing proceeded. 

"The fucking nerve of you to ask her for a chance! You had years to be with her, Zayn! I don't know what the hell was wrong with you then or what's wrong with you now, but I can tell you this much." Harry stepped closer to Zayn so they'd be face to face, though it was a bit hard when Zayn seemed vertically challenged and it looked more like chest to face; Zayn didn't appreciate Harry literally looking down on him.

"If you think I'm going to suddenly disappear from Leigh's life, you're wrong, because I love her and she knows it. And on the grounds that you're her best mate, and seeing how I thought you were a mate of mine, I'm going to try and let this kiss slide." Harry's voice deepened and his tone became steely and threatening. "Don't let it become a habit, because if you attempt some shit like that again, I promise you, I fucking promise you, Zayn, that I won't act so civil if I have to show up at your doorstep again."

The only reason he hadn't given Zayn a shiner when he opened the door was for Leigh's sake and her sake only. Surely Zayn would call her and say that he was some manic that went around punching people for no apparent reason...though having a friend kiss your girlfriend was a very valid reason to do so. Leigh-Anne had stressed that she didn't want them having a confrontation, both of their egos would undoubtedly turn things into a physical altercation and she couldn't stand to have them fighting. She said she loved him - he couldn't be more elated hearing her say that - but she did need time to think about everything and he respected her decision.

Zayn scoffed and pushed Harry away from him. Who the hell did Harry think he was coming to his house and damn near scolding him for having feelings? Feelings for the girl he'd known all his life, grew up with, and was there for every one of her most memorable life achievements? All of her highs, and her lows?

"Just fuck off, Harry," he told him going to the door to open it. "I'm not afraid of you and your four inch height advantage. Leigh will make her desision in a day or two and whoever she doesn't pick will just have to deal with it."

Harry chuckled darkly, his eyes smiling along. "You don't get it do you? She's already decided, Zayn, and I can tell you now, it's not you." Harry smirked at the multiple expressions that passed over Zayn's face. The realization was dawning on him that maybe she hadn't called because that was her way of telling him she'd chosen to be with Harry.

"She hasn't told me that she made her choice, that means she's still undecided," Zayn replied cooly while trying to keep his composure. "Don't just assume because she hasn't said anything to you that you're who she wants to be with." 

"I don't have to assume anything when it's all quite clear that she's already chosen me." Harry folded his arms and waited for Zayn's next futile response.

"That's not true, Leigh would tell me."

"She hasn't called or texted you about it because she doesn't have the heart to tell you, so I'm telling you. It's been three days, Zayn. Three. She wakes up next to me every morning and she goes to sleep next to me every night, I am who she wants to be with." Harry's smirk never left his face. "So what was it you said a minute ago? That whoever she doesn't pick will just have to deal with it? Well I suggest you start dealing with it." Harry chuckled to himself, he had never let himself be so cocky before and he kind of liked it. 

"But good luck with that, mate," Harry said mockingly before letting himself out and leaving Zayn to stand there and fully consider his options if Harry actually was telling the truth about Leigh's verdict.

'Like hell,' Zayn thought. He'd go to Leigh-Anne and ask her straight out what her ruling was and show Harry that he was wrong. 

_x

"I'm really sorry, Leigh," Jade murmured as they recieved their facials and pedicures. It was the last thing on their to-do list at the spa and soon, Harry would be picking them up.

"For what?" Leigh-Anne asked with a sigh.

"For starting this whole mess with you, Zayn, and Harry. I honestly thought you knew how Zayn had started to feel about you and that you would ditch Harry to be with him. I didn't think that choosing between them would actually be hard for you," Jade explained pulling the cucumbers off her eyes to look at her friend sympathetically.

She didn't realize the severity of it until Harry called her, frantic out of his mind about how much Leigh-Anne was crying and what she thought a good solution would be so she would stop. He said that he tried everything but nothing seemed to work. "Jade, she won't stop crying and I'm at a loss here. She'll be alright for a moment and then she'll look at me and start crying again. I don't know what to do anymore!" were his exact words, and that's when Jade told him she'd handle it. A spa day was clearly in order for the both of them and Harry volunteered to pay. As long as it stopped Leigh from crying, it was more than worth it. 

"It was wrong of me to think that your relationship Harry was a temporary fix, just something so you wouldn't be hurting over Zayn anymore... I didn't know that maybe your feelings for Harry weren't shallow and fickle and I'm just so, so sorry," Jade whispered.

Leigh-Anne sighed and removed her cucumbers as well. "It's not your fault, Jade. It was alot to really comprehend, that's all. You know what I've been through with and for Zayn, and after I'd finally given up and stopped fighting for his attention that I obviously wasn't going to get, it felt nice having Harry there... I don't want to have to choose between them, I shouldn't have to if it means I'll be losing one of them, and -" She assulated her lip with her teeth before pulling a determined face. "And I know who I want to be with..I just hope the other will understand that if the timing was right, it would've been him."

_x

After hours of searching his home, Zayn had at last found the spare key to Leigh-Anne's flat. He never saw a reason for having it when she was always home and going to answer the door for him, though he did enjoy knowing he had 24 hour access to her place whenever he needed it.

He saw the couples cars parked outside her house and he mumbled curses to himself, he had wanted to speak to Leigh-Anne alone about this in case having Harry present would influence her answers. Technically -wait, no. There was no "technically" here. Leigh-Anne and Harry were together, and he was the one trying to split them up. 

God, he really was a prick, wasn't he?

Zayn knocked twice on the door before inserting his key and letting himself in. He saw the pair sitting together on the couch and it looked like Harry was about to get up and answer the door. 

"Zayn?" Leigh-Anne asked, caught off guard and not expecting to see him until after she gave him a call later. 

"Yeah, me," Zayn grumbled, closing the door and then shoving his hands in his pockets. "Leigh, can I talk to you for a sec?"

In no time at all, Harry interjected with, "Don't you think you've talked to her enough, Zayn?"

"Mind your own damn-"

"Zayn, no," Leigh-Anne said quickly getting up and pushing him towards the kitchen so they wouldn't start arguing. "Sit."

She and Zayn stared at one another until he plopped down onto a kitchen chair and waited. Leigh-Anne gave him one last look and went to her boyfriend.

"Leigh, I don't want -"

"Harry, please?" she asked him quietly, her arms crossed over her chest. "It's been days, I need to talk to him..Regardless of everything he's still my friend."

"Fine," Harry relented in a sigh. Anything that would make this easier and go away faster. "But I'm sitting right here until he leaves."

"I think you should leave..." Leigh-Anne muttered, looking to the side.

Harry frowned. "I'm not leaving you here alone with him. The last time I trusted him around you, he decided to kiss you. I'm not going to let that happen again."

"It won't. I just think it would be best if you left and came back. I still have to talk to you about this," she whispered, looking at Zayn who patiently sat there.

Now Harry felt threatened. Those insecurities that he had buried about Leigh-Anne and Zayn were being resurrected at an alarming rate and there wasn't anything he could do to stop it.

He went over to Zayn's flat confident that Leigh-Anne had chosen him but now he wasn't so sure. The way she glanced over at the older male made Harry second guess everything. What if she really had picked Zayn and was using the past few days figuring out how to say goodbye to him instead? Had he really read the situation wrong? She loved him, right? She loved him enough to tell Zayn that they'd never be together because she wanted him and only him, right? ...Right?

But she didn't say she wanted to be with him and not Zayn, those words never came from her lips.

Green eyes sized Zayn up. Harry wasn't going down without a fight. He would fight tooth and nail to be with Leigh-Anne and if Zayn thought he wouldn't, he needed to put up his fucking dukes. Harry was going to fight for her and he wasn't going to give up. He would turn into that crazy ex if he had to. He loved her more than he had ever loved a woman and he'd be damned before he ever let her go. Especially not to someone who didn't deserve her or recognize how special she really is.

"I'll be in the car," he muttered, pulling her close and kissing her temple, holding her tightly. "I love you."

"Alright... I'll see you in a few minutes then," she replied quietly, freeing herself from his hold.

It crushed him that she didn't say it back, so Harry looked over to Zayn who was staring at him, and a smirk looked like it wanted to make its way onto his lips because he had heard their conversation. 

Fuck, Harry wanted to lunge at Zayn right now, but he would control himself for Leigh-Anne.

"Okay. In a bit," Harry promised her, kissing Leigh-Anne's cheek and heading towards the door. He mouthed a quick, "I'll kill you" to Zayn before he closed the door shut.

Leigh-Anne let out a sigh and felt sick. She didn't want to talk to Zayn in person, things were always easier over the phone. She traipsed to her kitchen as if she had anvils for feet, she didn't know what to say to him. He loved her, he kissed her, he wanted a chance to be with her, and she had Harry.

When she lowered herself into the chair, Zayn smiled at her.

"Hey."

"Hey.."

"So...what's happening?" Zayn asking leaning forward, his elbows on the table, his hands folded together.

"Um.." Leigh-Anne bit her lip, looking down at the table. "Nothing much. You? How's work been?"

"It's been alright." Zayn shrugged his shoulders and scooted his chair closer to the table. It had been days since he saw her or heard her voice and he wanted to get closer to her. It was driving him mad! He didn't even get to hug her because Harry was standing there like a watch dog ready to attack. "You?"

"I took off a few days..." she admitted. 

"Oh...enjoying your vacation?" Leigh-Anne hardly ever took off and only did so when she really needed a break; she was a workaholic.

"A bit, there hasn't been much to do..." Leigh-Anne played with her fingers under the table. "How've you been?"

"I've been better. Anxious. Frustrated. Depressed. Crazed.... Mostly anxious."

"Oh.."

Zayn looked off to the side for a second and then back at his best friend. "You look good," he complimented awkwardly, his fingers beginning to impatiently drum on the table. She always looked amazing, now that he cared enough to notice, and man did he notice it right now.

"Thanks," she mumbled, her eyes wandering to his hand. "You look good too.." He really did. Zayn's tattoos were on full display, his hair was perfectly in place, and he smelled so good. Everytime he leaned over the table to get closer to her, she picked up a whiff of his cologne, and if she didn't have so much self control, she would shudder and moan.

"Thanks... So uh.." This was becoming so weird and uncomfortable for him. 

It was getting as weird and uncomfortable as the time when he and Leigh-Anne were still teenagers, and he woke up with the hardest morning wood of his teenage life. She had insisted sleeping in the bed with him that night and was cuddling him with it pressed against her. He still wondered if she ever knew about that. When he woke up and noticed it, he quickly broke free from her hold and went to the bathroom. After taking care of it, he came back and remembered the pout on her lips, assuming it was because she missed his warmth and he had woken her up by moving. Now that he knew a little bit more about what teenage Leigh-Anne thought and felt about him, that pout could've meant that she was upset about other things. 

Other things that he was regretting not paying attention to. She was obviously pouting because she had felt and had hoped something would happen.

"This isn't us," Zayn said suddenly. "This is so tense and awkward."

"Yeah," she agreed quietly, blaming Zayn for the way things were between them, in her head. 

She was trying to move on with Harry. She was happy with Harry. She never had to chase after his attention when he was always focused on her. She didn't have to question Harry's feelings for her when he told her and showed her how much he cared and wanted to be with her. From the beginning, on their first date, Harry's intentions were very clear. 

Zayn had no right to want to be with her now when he had years of opportunity. 

"So, have you, like, thought about what I said?" Zayn asked nervously. He was hating how she wouldn't look at him, that was making him even more nervous.

She nodded, straightening her posture to prepare herself for the serious talk they were about to have. Both of her hands folding ontop of the table professionally.

"And..?" Bravely, Zayn reached across the table and grabbed one of her hands. He had never felt so afraid of a woman's answer.

"And..." She sighed and told herself not to snatch her hand away and not to melt from his touch. "And I love you," she whispered, and Zayn intertwined their fingers with a big smile on his face.

"I love you too!" he replied excitedly. Jubilation quickly spread through him. He knew she loved him back, he knew she still felt the same way. "Leigh, you don't know how hap-"

She pulled her hand from his, cutting him off because he was confused on why she would pull away. Leigh-Anne frowned and he mimicked her, panicking again. Like, why would she pull away from him? She just said she loved him.

"Zayn, I love you," she said sadly. She felt her nose begin to burn and instantly knew she was going to cry. "But -"

"No," Zayn interjected. "No buts."

"But Harry -"

"Fuck Harry, okay?!" Zayn yelled, and she jumped in her seat. "I don't care about him. I care about us, and only us."

"Zayn, don't -"

"Don't what? Love you back? Because I do and I -"

"Shut up and let me talk!" Leigh-Anne shouted. "Zayn, I love you. I've always loved you, and I will always love you."

"But?" Zayn rolled his eyes, trying to do something with them besides letting them cry. "But there's Harry, right?"

Leigh-Anne nodded once and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. It didn't help, her throat still felt dry.

"And you love him too," he spat out bitterly, clenching his fists. "Leigh, he's.."

"There's nothing wrong with Harry," she told him before he could try to put Harry down. "Harry is perfect for me."

"No," Zayn argued. "I'm perfect for you. How do you think we've been mates for so long? Because we were meant to be together!"

"Maybe you're right.." she muttered, and closed her eyes. "But -"

"I'm sick of you saying 'but,' Leigh-Anne!" Zayn groaned. "Everything will be fine once you get rid of Harry."

"Zayn, I'm not getting rid of Harry."

Zayn smiled for a second thinking that she was joking. Like, c'mon, she had to be kidding. She was really picking Harry over him? 

"I'm serious, Zayn... I'm staying with Harry," she said firmly. 

And his smile rapidly turned into another frown. "You're getting rid of me?" he asked in shock. His hand went to his chest to make sure that he heard her right, that he, Zayn, was getting thrown to the side by some rich hipster that wasn't relevant to either of their lives until a few months ago.

Maybe he needed a hearing aid? 

Because that couldn't have been what she said.

It had better not have been what she said.

Leigh-Anne finger combed through her hair, her eyes focused on anything that wasn't Zayn. "No, I'm not getting rid of you either. But I'm staying with Harry and I want you to respect that. If you love me the way you say you do," she paused and looked at him, "- then you'll still be my best friend."

"You're serious? You're really picking Harry over me?" 

"Zayn," she snapped. "I'm not picking anyone over anyone. I have the right to want a relationship with someone that isn't you, just like how you picked Perrie over me. Or Deja, or Raven, or -" 

"I was stupid then!"

"You're still stupid now," she commented and laughed. "But let's be honest, Zayn. We'd probably be too awkward in a relationship anyways. Our kisses would probably be really weird."

"We've already kissed," he pointed out.

"I mean a consensual kiss. Plus, you wouldn't know what to do with all of this ass. You're hands aren't as big as Harry's," she teased, feeling better when Zayn cracked a rueful grin. 

His acceptance grin of, she still wanted to be his best friend but nothing more. 

"Leave my hands outta this!" Zayn felt terrible and wanted to be alone.

They heard the door open slowly and Harry step through it. "Are you two, um...done talking?" 

Zayn smiled at Leigh-Anne and nodded at Harry. "Yeah, I've gotta get going anyways."

Leigh-Anne stood when he did and gave him a hug. "Best friends, okay?"

It pained him to smile, but he nodded again. "Always." Zayn walked over to Harry and patted him on the shoulder. "Beers on me this weekend?" he offered.

"Uh..." Harry looked between his girlfriend and Zayn, confused. "Yeah, sure?"

"Great, and bring Louis, yeah?" Zayn added, walking out the door without hearing Harry's answer; he was sure it would be another yes. "I'll talk you later, Leigh!" he called over his shoulder.

"What just happened?" Harry asked once he closed the door.

"I'm not too sure," she answered honestly. "He took that a lot better than I thought he would..."

Harry gaped. "Are you saying what I think you're saying? That we're staying together? You're picking me?" 

When he left he called his sister asking a million questions about what he should do if Leigh-Anne had decided to break up with him for Zayn. Did he accept her decision? Or did he say fuck it and break Zayn's perfect jaw? They haven't been together long, but he loves her, so was he still allowed to cry? Over and over Gemma tried to reassure him and calm him down, he was angry and anxious, and he learned that wasn't a good mix of emotions for him. He was passionately cursing Zayn and biting his nails, all while wanting to scream because what if she really picked Zayn and they were in there planning to tell him that he needed to pack his bags and keep it moving? But Gemma was the best. She and Leigh-Anne bonded quickly and had a gut feeling that Leigh-Anne was a good fit for him.

Harry convinced himself that Leigh-Anne was picking Zayn over him no matter what. He would've picked his best mate -who was Louis by the way- over some girl he had just started dating regardless of how much he cared for her... and that said a lot when he didn't look at Louis that way. Harry would never want to lose his best friend because of someone else, so he was freaking out while the door to her house remained shut. He couldn't hear any screaming or fighting. Just...silence. And it was suffocating him when his patience was so thin. He was waiting for Zayn to come running out of the house to fight him, or rub it in his face that he'd successfully stolen Leigh-Anne away. He was also waiting for Leigh-Anne to come running out of the house crying to him about how she couldn't be with him, or crying about how Zayn had done/said something that was out of line and would cause him to react violently. 

He was so willing to fight or her that he would've found any excuse to prove his worth. Before he made up his mind about going in the house he burst into a hysterical laughter. He was such a pacifist, and yet he was so ready to go to war with Zayn no matter how long it took if it meant his relationship with Leigh-Anne would be secure. That's when he realized he was seriously in love with her.

Leigh-Anne grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him close, Harry would let her do anything right now. "Why would I break up with you? I love you, Harry," she confessed, and it felt so good to tell him for the first time.

Harry felt his heart stop and started laughing again. It was softer, and full of genuine happiness that he thought his heart had stopped because it was overflowing with mutual love for her. And he could see it now, he was going to end up marrying her.

"I love you too," he replied when he stopped laughing. "So much. I can't -"

She hummed, grabbed him by the neck and pulled his face so close to hers that he stopped talking. "I know. Now show me," she demanded.

Harry had no problem with this. But... "But what about Zayn?" He was just going to leave like that? Offer to pay for drinks and just leave? "Is he gonna be okay?"

Leigh-Anne let herself look at the door, like Zayn was still on the other side of it. "He'll be fine," she answered. She was going to call him later. She could tell that he was going to cry when they were talking, and knew that's what he was going to do when he got home. Then, he would lock himself in his room and draw until his wrist cramped, maybe even after. He would be fine after all of that.

"How do you know?" Harry asked, looking back at the door when Leigh-Anne started to lead him to her bedroom. 

She smiled at Harry and chuckled to herself. "Because he's my best friend."

 

____xx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How, bitch, how? How is this over? How could I pick Leigharry when I'm Zeigh af? Lmao, I think I just wanted a realistic ending so...Leigharry wins. I sorta want to write an alternative ending for everyone who wanted Zeigh, and, once again, being Zeigh af, I think I have to out of contractual obligations. ...But who knows how long that could take? Ctfu, probably another two years :)
> 
> Who's happy that it ended with Leigharry? Who's upset with me because it didn't end with Zeigh? #BestFriend
> 
> Sorry for the (incredibly) lame ending. I couldn't have Harry and Zayn actually fight each other lol
> 
>  
> 
> -Jubilee xox :)


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